


Stay

by Dinogiveafuck



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cuddles, Depressed Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Drabble, Hanji is a sweet sweet baby taking care of their smol LeeLee, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Suicide, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Other, Self Harm, aka canon hange B), angsty fluff, don't read this if you're easily triggered, mentions of self harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6830008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinogiveafuck/pseuds/Dinogiveafuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Shit. They almost immediately put their mug down, about to press the green button on their prehistoric nokia –the only thing that survived in their hands- until they realized it might not be the best idea. If they remembered correctly, Levi wasn’t at all talkative when he was… In this state. Or in any state, really, but this was different. Worse"</p>
<p>---------------------------------</p>
<p>A drabble I had sitting for a while containing LeviHan cuteness. Kind of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the song 'stay' by Flyleaf, highly recommend listening to that if you wanna sob :^)  
> It's not the greatest, I started this almost a year ago and finally got around finishing it.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumbr/twitter!! (also Dinogiveafuck there C:)

It was rare for Hanji to get a text at this hour.  
They were used to receiving one either in the evening or very early in the morning.  
Or late at night, depended whether the person texting had been just as busy as Hanji, on the brink of a breakthrough.  
Sniffing the last hint of the hidden fragrance in the perfume, as they had jokingly said to themselves over a cup of Irish coffee.

But receiving a text at 10 in the morning, right after their weekly bath? Hm. It was strange.  
They usually didn’t bother answering right away but… The unusual time of arrival made them curious.  
Oh.  
It was Levi.

‘ _Hey Hanji, can you do me a favor?_ ’

Their brows arched up, peeking from over the edge of their round glasses that slid down the bridge of their nose.  
They pushed them back up and replied. Levi texting at this hour was already odd, but asking for help?  
They could feel something was wrong with their former roommate. And they didn’t like it the slightest bit.  
The next reply came fast. They checked their phone while stirring milk into their coffee.

_‘Can you pick up my medication?’_

 

Shit.

They almost immediately put their mug down, about to press the green button on their prehistoric nokia –the only thing that survived in their hands- until they realized it might not be the best idea.  
If they remembered correctly, Levi wasn’t at all talkative when he was… In this state.  
  
Or in any state, really, but this was different.  
Worse.  
  
They asked him to email a picture of the receipt, though the pharmacist at Levi’s apartment, just around the corner would probably give it to Hanji as soon as he heard Levi’s name.  
  
They were still shrugging their thick woolen coat on as they walked out of the apartment, leaving the freshly brewed coffee behind.  
  
  
✏----------

  
“Levi?”  
Their voice was soft, timid.  
They didn’t know if Levi could stand noise. They didn’t want to try and find out. They didn’t want to hurt him.  
The spare key slipped back into their pocket of the soft grey fabric, clashing against their car keys with the sound of metal chains.  
Something in the apartment moved.

It was dark.  
Thick droplets of rain had started to pour down from the skies, making an almost cozy, welcoming noise as they quietly hit the window, muttering their rhythm.  
Hanji liked it. Hanji knew Levi liked it too.

They took off their shoes, putting the coat over a chair which would definitely earn them a scold from Levi.  
Eh. Couldn’t care less right now. S

till carrying the plastic bag, they shuffled through the dark apartment on fuzzy socks, only the sound of soft fabric scraping over wooden floor, as well as plastic crackling filling the place.  
Moving over to the kitchen, they opened the cupboard and filled up a glass of water to go with the pills, after that returned on their quest of finding Levi.

The living room was empty.  
So was the bedroom.

Hanji felt their heartbeat speed up as they pushed the bathroom door open, holding their breath when they saw the small pile of misery, their entire body hit by an air of cold silence.

 

The bathtub was filled halfway.  
Levi’s quilt emerged in the cold water, edges spilling over those of the tub, a soft monotonous sound of a drip falling from the tap into the water.  
It was rhythmic, calming and annoying at the same time.  
Something that reminded Levi of how much time passed, how much time he spent here.  
How much he hated time itself, just wishing he was able to turn it back and prevent this. But he couldn’t.

A silent ‘Levi’ fell from Hanji’s lips, it was a mere breath, but it sounded like an eardeafening sound in the utter silence of the room they were both in.  
No movement. Just another dripping noise.

With their throat thick and dry, body numb, the brunet slowly crouched down, turning to look at their friend.

 

The quilt covered most of his body, his entire back and shoulders, as well as the back and top of his head protected by the wall of fluff and fabric, a thick layer of clouds around him that drooped down of his shoulders, over his arms and then disappeared in the water.  
His underarms rested between his knees, legs pressed tightly to his own chest as a way of protecting himself.

 

Hanji carefully inched closer, their warm hand opening up to wrap around Levi’s, second one joining to gently, surely to pry the exacto knife from between his fingers, push the blade back in and drop it on the ground.  
The water was clear, just like his body, and it was a feeling of relief that flooded their entire being when his fingers curled up.  
A small movement. One that meant so much to them.

They didn’t bother asking anything.  
They didn’t even bother talking as their arms wrapped around his thin shoulders, struggling to haul him up, out of the tub and up on his feet.  
He was cold. His body was stiff, moving along with their movements nevertheless.

 

He couldn’t stand up, Hanji knew that. His body was weak, almost going pliant once the warmth of Hanji reached him, his face hidden in their sweater.  
Embarrassed, or sad, or maybe even angry.  
Hanji wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to look at them.

Slow, careful steps towards the big, empty bed in the next room and Levi was put down on the mattress.  
The blanket was peeled off his body and carelessly tossed onto the ground, forming a puddle to go with the trail of water that lead to the pair’s current location.

Hanji still didn’t talk.  
  
They found new quilts, two of them in his closet and weren’t even bothered to take off his soaked underwear or even pat him dry with a towel, nor did they take the time to cover the pristine white fabrics with the provided sheets that went along with them, immediately putting the first one, warm and dry on his shoulders.

Then they hurried back to the bathroom.

The pills and water, which they had forgotten were definitely something that’d help to get him out of this state of numbness, both body and mind buried, hidden somewhere deep inside himself.  
He had to wake up again, and all that could help was the loving warmth and patience only someone who knew him well enough could give.

Levi willingly swallowed two pills. He needed the water to get them down, and Hanji made sure he drank the entire glass before moving on the bed with him.  
They sat right next to their friend, hips pressed against his while tugging the second quilt up to both their waists, lifting the heavy, thick blanket to rest one side of it on their own shoulder.

 

And then Levi moved.

Just slightly, small, slow motions to get closer and curl into the warmth and safety, the figure he’d only hoped to have seen, though hours ago.

 

An hour passed.

Hanji was still in the same position.

Arms around Levi’s shoulders, slow, gentle strokes through his hair. An occasional whisper, something small they noticed.

The rain stopped, and they told him about it, soothing like a parent talking to their child.

Traffic jam.  
Muted noises of horns outside.

Levi tensed up, and Hanji made him relax again with whispers into his damp, pitch black hair.

Whispering that told stories of far off places, things that now seemed like a dream to Levi, but once were things that happened.

Nice things, fun things. Levi had laughed and loved.

He had been loved.

 

  
✏----------

 

“I cannot thank you enough.”

Said a hoarse soft voice, but Hanji just smiled and waved their hand as if to say he didn’t need to thank them.

Levi was still bundled up in the covers, having stolen his friend’s sweater and a warm tea cup in his hands, tv playing but no one watching.

He’d started moving and relaxing not too long after Hanji had recited the story of how they had traveled to the beach just to catch a glimpse of the setting sun for the 600th time.  
Levi loved that memory, he loved how the vivid colours, the million different scents flooded his mind again.

His fingers had tingled, as if still feeling the tight grip of their entwined fingers they had back then.  
It was a magical moment. One of those where you felt strong, yet so small.

He’d been alive, more than ever, and it had been beautiful.

 

Hanji didn’t need to ask whether they should stay or not.  
It was pretty clear from how Levi still had his back glued to their chest and occasionally searched for the other’s long, warm comforting fingers that would warm up his own.

They played with each other, tangled and untangled, weaved through each other and withdrew again after a while, but he always ended up searching for it.

And Hanji always ended up being there.


End file.
